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MINERAL GROUPS

Element Abundances

Silica
SILICATES (SiO4)4-

Common cations that

bond with silica anions

All others: 1.5%

Common Silicate mineral groups

mineral formula cleavage Silicate structure
Olivine (MgFe)2SiO4 none Single tetrahedron

Pyroxene (Mg, Fe) SiO3 two cleavage chains

planes at 900
Amphiboles: (Ca2Mg5)Si8O22(OH)2 Two planes at Double chains
Eg. hornblende 600and 1200
Mica Muscovite KAl3Si3O10(OH)2 One plane sheets

Biotite K(MgFe)3Si3O10(OH)2

Feldspars:K-feldspar KAlSi3O8 Two planes at 900 Three dimensional

Orthoclase, microcline networks

Plagioclase (Ca,Na)AlSi3O8

Quartz SiO2 none Three dimensional

network

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Common Non Silicate mineral groups

group member formula uses
Oxides Magnetite Fe3O4 Ore of iron
Haematite Fe2O3 Ore of iron
Corundum Al2O3 Abrasive

Sulphides Galena PbS Ore of lead

Sphalerite ZnS Ore of zinc
Pyrite FeS2 Fool’s gold

Sulfates Gypsum CaSO4.H2O Used for plaster

Anhydrite CaSO4

Native elements Gold Au Precious metal

Silver Ag Precious metal
Copper Cu Used for Wires
Sulfur S Used in chemicals
Graphite C pencils

Halides Halite NaCl Common salt

Flourite CaF2 Used in chemicals

Carbonates Calcite CaCO3 Used in cement

MINERAL GROUPS

• Silicates (most abundant)

• Non-silicates (~8% of Earth’s crust):
– Oxides O2-
– Carbonates (CO3)2-
– Sulfides S2-
– Sulfates (SO4)2-
– Halides Cl-, F-, Br-
– Native elements (single elements; e.g., Au)

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MINERAL GROUPS – SILICATES

• Silicates Silicon-oxygen
• Tetrahedron tetrahedron
• fundamental building (SiO4)4-
block
• 4 oxygen ions
surrounding a much
smaller silicon ion

MINERAL GROUPS – SILICATES

• Joining Silicate Structures

• How tetrahedra may be linked:
• independent tetrahedra
• single chains
• double chains
• sheets
• 3-D framework

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MINERAL GROUPS
– SILICATES –

MINERAL GROUPS – SILICATES

Olivine Group
dark silicates (Fe-Mg)  ferromagnesian

No cleavage

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Composition

Magnesium iron silicate. The series ranges from

the magnesium end member, Forsterite, through
the intermediate member, Olivine (also known as
Chrysolite), to the iron end member, Fayalite

The Olivine group is composed of three minerals, with the

following formulas:
Forsterite = Mg2SiO4
Olivine (Chrysolite) = (Mg,Fe)2SiO4
Fayalite = Fe2SiO4

The intermediate variety, Olivine, is not scientifically

recognized as a separate mineral, but is nevertheless
mentioned.

Color Olive-green, yellow-green, light

green, yellow, yellow-brown, brown,
gray, white
Streak Colorless
Hardness 6½ - 7
Crystal Forms Usually occurs as rounded grains, in
and Aggregates dense aggregates of grainy crystals,
and as fractured masses.

Transparency Transparent to translucent

Specific Gravity 3.2 - 4.2
Luster Vitreous
Cleavage none
Fracture Conchoidal
Tenacity Brittle

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Uses The variety Peridote is a famous gem. It

creates a distinctive, yellow-green to
olive-green gem that is well known. It is
the birthstone for August.

Olivine is also used as a flux for making

steel, and is an ore of magnesium.

Striking Features Color, localities, and hardness

Complex Tests Soluble in hydrochloric acid

MINERAL GROUPS – SILICATES

Pyroxene Group
Ferromagnesian / dark silicates (Fe-Mg)

Augite

2-directions
of cleavage
(at nearly 90 degrees)

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MINERALS
The typical pyroxene
structure contains
chains of SiO3
tetrahedrons
• The slope of the
tetrahedral
pyramids helps to
determine the
cleavage angle of
the pyroxenes at
nearly 90o degrees
(actually 93o and
87o).

Pyroxene minerals are common in in meteorites and the extrusive igneous rock
called basalt. There are many different types of pyroxene including augite,
wollastonite, diopside, enstatite, and hypersthene. All of the types contain
Si2O6 but some have sodium (Na) while others have iron (Fe), magnesium
(Mg), or a combination of these three elements . The general properties of the
more common pyroxene minerals, such as augite, are listed below.
Shape:Orthrorhombic or Monoclinic
Luster: Glassy or metallic
Color: Black
Streak: White, light green or light brown
Hardness: 5-6.5 on Mohs hardness scale
Cleavage: Two planes that meet at nearly a 90-degree angle
Fracture: Most have uneven and brittle fractures.

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MINERAL GROUPS – SILICATES

Amphibole Group
Ferromagnesian / dark silicates (Ca, Fe-Mg)

Hornblende

2-directions
of cleavage
(not at 90 degrees)

There are several different minerals within the amphibole group, but
the most common type is hornblende. You can find small crystals of
hornblende in many types of igneous rocks. They often look like
little dark specks.
Hornblende (Ca2Mg5)Si3O22(OH)2
Shape: Monoclinic (crystals look like short, six-sided columns)
Luster: Glassy or milky
Color: Black or dark green, translucent to opaque
Streak: Grey-green or grey-brown
Hardness: 5-6
Cleavage: Two planes that meet at a 124-degree angle
Fracture: Uneven brittle fracture

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MINERAL GROUPS – SILICATES

Mica Group and Clay Minerals

light silicates (K, Al)  non-ferromagnesian

Muscovite
1-direction
of cleavage

MINERALS
• Micas and Clay
Minerals
• Sheets of tetrahedra are
the building blocks.
Aluminum is also
involved in thesesheet
structures which are
charge-balanced by
the cations Mg, Na and
K.
• most common mica
minerals:muscovite ,
biotite

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Mica minerals make some rocks sparkle! They are often found in
igneous rocks such as granite and metamorphic rocks such as
schist. They sparkle because light is reflected on their flat
surfaces, which are where the mineral breaks along its plane of
cleavage. These minerals break so easily along their cleavage that
some crystals have broken into many thin layers that look like the
pages of a little book.

Biotite Muscovite
K(MgFe)3Si3O10(OH)2 KAl3Si3O10 (OH)2
•Shape: Monoclinic. •Shape: Monoclinic. Forms flat
Forms flat plates. plates.
•Luster: Pearly, metallic •Luster: Pearly, metallic
•Color: Dark brown, dark •Color: Colorless or lightly
green or black tinted
•Streak: White •Streak: White
•Hardness: 2.5-3 •Hardness: 2-3 on Mohs
•Cleavage: Yes, Hardness Scale
•one plane of cleavage •Cleavage: Yes, one plane of
•Fracture: The mineral is cleavage
rather flexible and so it •Fracture: This mineral is also
doesn’t fracture very flexible and doesn’t fracture
easily. In fact you can very easily.
bend it very far before it
breaks.

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MINERAL GROUPS – SILICATES

Feldspar Group K-feldspar

light silicates (K-Na-Ca, Al)
Most common mineral group

Orthoclase

Plagioclase

2-directions
of cleavage
(at 90 degrees) Ca/Na-feldspar

MINERALS
• Feldspar group
• A second group of
alumino-silicates,
tetrahedra form three-
dimensional frameworks
with Ca, Na and K as
the balancing cations.
• The very abundant The K-feldspars or alkali felspars:
• feldspar are K-Na
bearing alkali •Microcline, (Potassium aluminum
silicate)
•Orthoclase, (Potassium aluminum
silicate)

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Feldspar is the most common mineral in the Earth’s crust, so you

are very likely to find it in the rocks you collect! It is found it all
of the three rock types, but is most common in intrusive igneous
rocks like granite where the crystals look white or pink.
There are several types of feldspar. The characteristics of the two
most common types are listed below. These two common types of
feldspar are difficult to tell apart besides their color. Color can be
helpful, but beware because the same mineral can often have
different colors. The sure way to tell these two apart is by looking
at the crystal surfaces for thin parallel groves called striations.
Plagioclase feldspar has striations but orthoclase feldspar does
not.

Orthoclase K AlSi3O8
•Shape: Monoclinic (Flat tabular or prism-shaped crystals)
•Luster: Glassy or pearly
•Color: Cream to pink
•Streak: White
•Hardness: 6 on Mohs Hardness Scale
•Cleavage: perfect
•Fracture: brittle
Plagioclase CaNaAlSi3O8
•Shape: Triclinic (Single prism-shaped crystals are very
rare. You are much more likely to find many crystals that
have grown together in a mass.
•Luster: Glassy or pearly
•Color: White to gray
•Streak: White
•Hardness: 6-6.5
•Cleavage: perfect
•Fracture: brittle

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MINERAL GROUPS – SILICATES

Quartz
light silicates (pure SiO2)

no cleavage
(conchoidal fracture)
hard, resistant to weathering
Quartz

Quartz is one of the most common mineral in Earth’s crust!

Silica (Si) and Oxygen (O) are the only elements within pure quartz.
Quartz can be found in all sorts of rocks. Most sand is made of quartz
because it is hard and does not weather away easily. Some pieces of
quartz are white like milk but most are clear like glass, sometimes with a
little pink or grey tinge of color.
Quartz
Shape: Trigonal (Perfect crystals are usually 6-sided prisms with a
pyramid shape at the end. However, it is much more common to find
many crystals that have grown in a mass or broken crystals.)
Luster: vitreous
Color: Colorless or white. Some varieties are pink or smoky.
Streak: White
Hardness: 7
Cleavage: None
Fracture: Conchoidal

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MINERALS
• Quartz
• Silica tetrahedra alone
can form a neutral
three-dimensional
framework structure with
no need for other
cations.
This arrangement forms a
very stable structure

popular as ornamental stone and as gemstones

•Amethyst is the purple gemstone variety.
•Citrine is a yellow to orange gemstone variety that is rare in nature but is often created by heating
Amethyst.
•Milky Quartz is the cloudy white variety.
•Rock crystal is the clear variety that is also used as a gemstone.
•Rosey Quartz is a pink to reddish pink variety.
•Smoky quartz is the brown to gray variety.

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